Cobbles are the speciality of the yellow loop (102 km) where you will be challenged by some serious cobblestone roads, such as Huispontweg, Doorn, the famous Paddestraat and Kerkgate. That's not all, however, the Wolvenberg, Nokereberg and the famed Molenberg will put your climbing legs to the test also.

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Cobbles, cobbles & more cobbles

48km

Paddestraat

The 2.260 meter long cobblestone road ‘Paddestraat’ is Flanders’ most well-known cyclist’s ‘scourge’. This present day bone rattler was once part of a Roman ‘Via’ between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Cologne. The Paddestraat became a well-deserved national monument in 1995. Here you will find the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen Monument’, which lists the names of all Ronde winners since 1973, the year in which the Paddestraat was added to the parcours. The right hand bend after the railway crossing where you enter the cobbles was where Frank Vandenbroucke lost his bid for glory in 1999 after a brave attack with 150km to go in the company of teammate Philippe Gaumont. "Fresh" from a night out in Bruges that lasted until the early hours, Gaumont slid out on the bend and broke his wrist. VDB still managed to take second in the sprint.

Some history

Paddestraat is a remnant of an old Roman road that joined the French Bavay with the East-Flemish Velzeke. And the fact that there are still cobblestones here can be attributed
to a few fans of the Tour who fought in the 1990s to have them officially listed as part of Flemish heritage. The Paddestraat has been part of the Tour of Flanders since 1973, with the only exceptions being in 1988 (due to road works) and 2011 (due to a change of route).
Indeed, there is a monument here that lists all the winners of the Ronde who have ridden down Paddestraat. Next to the year 2011, you can read in fine print: 'Paddestraat forgotten'.

101.9km Finish